Online betting in Wisconsin

What Gambling Is Legal in Wisconsin

Is online gambling legal in Wisconsin? Most of the rules come from Article IV, Section 24 of the Wisconsin Constitution. This section stops lawmakers from allowing gambling except for a few types: the state lottery, bingo, raffles, pari-mutuel betting at tracks, and tribal gaming through agreements.

Voters allowed the lottery and pari-mutuel betting in 1987 and made the rules stricter in 1993. To change the law again, it must pass in two legislative sessions and then be approved by voters statewide.

Is gambling legal in Wisconsin? Only the types listed above are allowed. The only online gambling available to Wisconsin residents is paid fantasy, which operates without a state license.

Sports Betting in Wisconsin

Is sports betting legal in Wisconsin? Yes, but only in person. Tribal casinos have accepted bets under new agreements since the first legal wager at Oneida Casino in Green Bay on November 30, 2021.

Statewide mobile betting is legal according to the law, but it hasn't started yet. AB 601 became 2025 Wisconsin Act 247 on April 9, 2026, and Wisconsin online sports betting still waits on tribal compact amendments.

The law uses a hub-and-spoke system. All bets go through a server located on tribal land, and each tribe needs to update its agreement first.

Is DraftKings legal in Wisconsin for sports betting? Not yet, and the DraftKings operator profile lists no Wisconsin sportsbook.

Is bet365 legal in Wisconsin? No, it does not have a sportsbook here. Under Act 247, a national brand can only operate by partnering with a tribe.

Wisconsin Online Casinos

Wisconsin has never approved online casino games, and Act 247 only covers sports betting. There is no state law that directly addresses dual-currency sweepstakes casinos.

Online Poker in Wisconsin

Is online poker legal in Wisconsin? No law has ever allowed it, and Act 247 did not change anything about poker.

Wisconsin Daily Fantasy Sports

Wisconsin has never made a law about paid fantasy contests, does not license fantasy operators, and has not tried to enforce any rules. People play these contests freely without a state license.

• Is PrizePicks legal in Wisconsin? Its PrizePicks pick'em contests accept Wisconsin players, and so do Underdog, Sleeper, DraftKings, and FanDuel.
• Is Underdog legal in Wisconsin? It relies on the same gap in the law.
• Is FanDuel legal in Wisconsin? Its FanDuel fantasy contests are open here, and its sportsbook is not.

Prediction Markets in Wisconsin

Their status is unclear. In April 2026, Attorney General Josh Kaul sued Kalshi, Polymarket, Crypto.com, Robinhood, and Coinbase over their sports contracts. No court has decided if they are banned or legal.

Horse Racing and Pari-Mutuel Wagering

Pari-mutuel betting is only allowed at racetracks, but there are no racetracks in Wisconsin right now. State law does not mention advance-deposit wagering, so racebooks from other states still accept Wisconsin customers. This means online race betting is in a gray area.

Gambling Age in Wisconsin

The Wisconsin gambling age is 21 for tribal casino gaming and for sports betting at tribal sportsbooks. You can play the Wisconsin Lottery, bingo, raffles, and pari-mutuel pools at 18. Fantasy operators choose their own minimum age because the state does not set one.

Who Regulates Gambling in Wisconsin

The Division of Gaming

The Department of Administration's Division of Gaming carries out the state's role in the tribal compacts and oversees charitable gaming and pari-mutuel wagering. Wisconsin gambling laws give it no power to license casinos, and it will not license online sportsbooks under Act 247.

Tribal Gaming Commissions

The Wisconsin Lottery is managed by the Department of Revenue. Each tribe's gaming commission licenses and oversees its own casino, and the National Indian Gaming Commission supervises them under federal law. Under Act 247, tribes will also own and operate the online platforms.

If you have a complaint about a tribal casino, start with that tribe's gaming commission. If the issue is about the state's responsibilities under the compact, contact the Division of Gaming.

Where to Get Help

The Wisconsin Council on Problem Gambling runs a 24-hour helpline at 1-800-GAMBLE-5 (1-800-426-2535), with texts at 1-850-888-HOPE and chat at wi-problemgamblers.org. Wisconsin does not have a statewide self-exclusion program, so you must arrange exclusion with each tribal casino. 

You can find more help on our responsible gambling hub.

Act 247 and the Compact Negotiations

Each tribe must work out a new agreement with the governor, and each agreement needs approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Governor Evers began talks with all 11 tribes on June 1, 2026, and has said he will not approve any plan that favors some tribes over others.

Governor Evers will leave office on January 4, 2027, and any unfinished negotiations will go to the next governor. The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major national sportsbooks, opposed the bill because a federal rule gives tribes at least 60 percent of the revenue.

The Constitutional Challenge

On August 5, 2026, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court on behalf of two taxpayer groups. The lawsuit claims that Act 247 violates Article IV, Section 24, gives special benefits to tribal members, and says the governor cannot negotiate the amendments. 

A Marquette poll from February found that 64 percent of Wisconsin voters opposed online sports betting. Wisconsin's model copies Florida's, and the Florida version survived years of federal litigation.

Prediction Markets in Court

The CFTC and the Justice Department sued Wisconsin in federal court, saying only the federal government can regulate event contracts. A federal judge said the Ho-Chunk Nation is likely to win its case against Kalshi under IGRA, with a trial set for May 2027.

Our Wisconsin news coverage tracks every Wisconsin online gambling case.

Where to Bet in Wisconsin

Tribal Sportsbooks

Eleven federally recognized tribes operate about two dozen casinos in Wisconsin, and there are no commercial casinos. Potawatomi Casino Hotel in downtown Milwaukee is the most well-known, and Ho-Chunk manages several locations in the center of the state. All in-person sports betting in Wisconsin takes place at these tribal casinos.

Oneida, Forest County Potawatomi, Ho-Chunk, St. Croix, and Lac du Flambeau are some of the tribes with sports betting agreements. The current list of Wisconsin tribal sportsbooks follows the Department of Administration.

The One Mobile App

Oneida operates the only tribal sportsbook app in Wisconsin. It can only be used within the reservation boundaries in Brown and Outagamie counties.

What Is Not Available Here

• A statewide mobile sportsbook is not available until the compacts are updated.
• Online casino games are not available. You can find a list of tribal venues on the Wisconsin casinos page.
• Online poker or a Wisconsin-licensed racebook.
• A settled answer on prediction markets. The Kalshi prediction market page follows the cases.

Exclusion works property by property, and our self-exclusion guide explains the steps.

Gambling Winnings Taxed As Income

How Wisconsin Taxes Winnings

Wisconsin treats gambling winnings as income and taxes them in four brackets, with the highest at 7.65 percent. Most people fall into the 5.30 percent bracket. There are no local income taxes.

No Deduction for Losses

Casual gamblers in Wisconsin cannot deduct their losses. According to Department of Revenue Publication 600, you pay taxes on net gains from winning sessions, but you cannot deduct net losses from losing sessions or use them for itemized deductions. Only professional gamblers can offset their losses.

What Still Applies Federally

Federal taxes are added on top of state taxes. Starting in 2026, casinos will report slot and bingo winnings on Form W-2G only if you win $2,000 or more. The federal deduction for losses is limited to 90 percent.

General information only; not tax advice.

What Could Change in Wisconsin

Act 247 and the Compact Negotiations

Each tribe must work out a new agreement with the governor, and each agreement needs approval from the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Governor Evers began talks with all 11 tribes on June 1, 2026, and has said he will not approve any plan that favors some tribes over others.

Governor Evers will leave office on January 4, 2027, and any unfinished negotiations will go to the next governor. The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents major national sportsbooks, opposed the bill because a federal rule gives tribes at least 60 percent of the revenue.

The Constitutional Challenge

On August 5, 2026, the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty filed a lawsuit in Waukesha County Circuit Court on behalf of two taxpayer groups. The lawsuit claims that Act 247 violates Article IV, Section 24, gives special benefits to tribal members, and says the governor cannot negotiate the amendments. 

A Marquette poll from February found that 64 percent of Wisconsin voters opposed online sports betting. Wisconsin's model copies Florida's, and the Florida version survived years of federal litigation.

Prediction Markets in Court

The CFTC and the Justice Department sued Wisconsin in federal court, saying only the federal government can regulate event contracts. A federal judge said the Ho-Chunk Nation is likely to win its case against Kalshi under IGRA, with a trial set for May 2027.

Our Wisconsin news coverage tracks every Wisconsin online gambling case.

Frequently asked questions

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